Grand Traverse Watershed Center Gets Big Donation from Labatt Blue

In Northern Michigan, lake days and beer often go together. So it seems natural that a major beer company is investing in the Great Lakes.

Labatt Blue has donated $10,000 to the Watershed Center in Grand Traverse County. The money will go towards the bay keeper program, which helps the group keep Grand Traverse Bay and nearby waterways clean.

“The donation we received from Labatt USA will help our bay keeper really enhance our advocacy efforts throughout our watershed, which covers four different counties in the Grand Traverse region,” said Shelli DiFranco, the director of community engagement at the Watershed Center.

Water is the number one ingredient in beer, which is why Labatt wants to keep the Great Lakes resource free of pollution. The donation is part of a $100,000 effort by the beer company to invest in water resources in the Great Lakes region.

“Our core markets are really along the Great Lakes, it’s where our employees are living and working, and our beer drinkers are living and working,” said Lauren Christopher, a public relations associate at Labatt.

One in five jobs in Michigan is tied to the Great Lakes, says DiFranco. Keeping the water clean is not only important to the environment, but to the economy.

“Our bay keeper here advocates and protects for all of Grand Traverse Bay and all of the bodies of water that lead into it,” said DiFranco. “Her main job is to advocate and protect units for government and residents to take care of this great resource that we have.”